Sunday, February 14, 2016

A
film review by James Berardinelli for ReelViews.net on July 24, 2015.

Paper Towns is the third
coming-of-age story to reach screens during the summer of 2015, following in
the wake of the vastly superior Me and
Earl and the Dying Girl and Dope.
Based on the novel by John Green, Paper Towns is an exercise in artifice.
The contrived storyline offers little opportunity for characters to grow and
the meandering narrative trajectory and anticlimactic ending will have some
viewers wondering why they bothered.

Coming-of-age
stories work best when they are populated with relatable characters. In Paper Towns, the narrator and
protagonist, Quentin (Nat Wolff), is
grounded but uninteresting. He is defined by a single personality trait: his
conformity. He's a studious guy who gets good grades, never cuts class, and
doesn't sneak out of his house at night. He is seduced out of his cocoon by the
girl across the street. She's Margo (Cara
Delevingne), one of the most popular girls in school and Quentin's private
obsession. Like Quentin, Margo isn't a real person - she's a wafer-thin movie
confection defined exclusively by her free-spiritedness. Since Paper Towns is presented from Quentin's
perspective, it's understandable that Margo would be so poorly drawn (we're
seeing her as he sees her, not as she is). It's less explicable why the same is
true of Quentin.

The
movie opens with an interminable 30 minute setup. For about half that time, we
are treated to glimpses of Quentin and Margo's childhood as they grow up as
best friends. (Their differences are italicized in a scene where they are shown
bicycling side-by-side with him wearing a helmet and her without one.) Through
this, Nat Wolff provides a voiceover talking about how invigorating it was to
be around Margo but how, in the end, they drifted apart. Then, one night a few weeks before the Senior
Prom, she hijacks him to be her accomplice on an adventure that includes a series of revenge-fueled pranks. After
that, she disappears but leaves behind a series of clues for amateur sleuth
Quentin to piece together. In order to find the love of his life, he must leave
his comfort zone, even going so far as to skip school and embark on a 1200-mile
road trip.

There's
a saying about road trip movies that the journey, not the destination, matters.
In Paper Towns, the journey is
dramatically inert - an empty half-hour comprised of minor misadventures and
inane chatter among the five friends in the car. The movie's final act is
disappointing. I admire what the film is trying do with respect to defying
conventions but the means to achieve this are awkward. After sitting through
about 95 minutes, one deserves a little more than sermonizing about what it
means to grow up.

Wolff,
who was fine in The Fault in Our Stars
(last year's John Green adaptation), shows little in the way of emotion or
range here. It's hard to say whether the blame lies with the actor (and, by
extension, director Jake Schreier)
or with the character. Quentin is dull and his development as a person seems
more cosmetic than organic. Has he really changed? British model Cara
Delevingne imbues Margo with an intriguing quirkiness but she's not on screen
long enough to make more than a fleeting impression and she and Wolff share no
chemistry. The actors who portray Quentin's friends and traveling companions
are as forgettable as the characters they play.

Paper Towns is perhaps best
viewed as a flight of fancy. That's the only way to overcome the suspension of disbelief curve. Little of
what happens in the movie - either during the initial night adventure, the
subsequent investigation, or the road trip - could happen in the real world, so
we must assume this is a parallel universe where adults are as relevant and
intelligible as those in a Charlie Brown cartoon. This is, after all, a movie
about teenagers. Why clutter it up with old people?

To
an extent, Paper Towns is all about
perspective. Seen through the eyes of Quentin, this is the story of how a boy,
trapped by his own fears and insecurities, learns to break free as a result of
his single-minded pursuit of love. A different but no less valid point-of-view
might argue that this about how a boy, driven by an unhealthy obsession for a
girl, acts recklessly and irresponsibly (nearly causing death or injury to five
people) in his stalking of her. A better, more self-aware movie (consider The Spectacular Now, also written by the
duo of Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber) would have found a
way to fuse the two interpretations, but this rote screenplay lacks the
necessary insight.

The
success of The Fault in Our Stars has
led distributor Fox to be bullish about the prospects for Paper Towns, but the films aren't comparable. The Fault in Our Stars is heartfelt and guileless - a touching
depiction of what happens when youth clashes with mortality. Paper Towns is shallow and chokes on its
own glibness. It's hard to believe both movies germinated from the pen of the
same author. [Berardinelli’s rating: ** out of 4 stars]

Blogger’s
comment: Screenwriting duo Scott Neustadter and Michael H Weber co-wrote (500) Days of Summer, The Spectacular Now
and The Fault in Our Stars. All of
those are far superior to Paper Towns.

Friday, February 12, 2016

A
film review by James Berardinelli for ReelViews.net on Oct. 2, 2015.

The Martian is the latest in a
series of realistic science fiction films - movies that eschew the space opera
elements of the genre and concentrate instead on believable aspects. Following
in the wake of Christopher Nolan's Interstellar
(and featuring two of the same cast members), The Martian speculates about how a near-future manned Mars mission
might evolve. With the exception of a slightly over-the-top ending, the film
mostly avoids the Hollywood-isms that
sometimes degrade science fiction into futuristic fantasy. This is neither an
action-oriented motion picture nor a special effects extravaganza. It's an
introspective story about what it might be like to be the sole inhabitant of a
distant world and knowing that instant communication isn't possible and a
rescue is at best a year away. It's also an examination of how necessity truly
can be the mother of invention - not only for the survivor but for those on
Earth seeking to find a way to save him.

The
events of The Martian transpire in the near future, although an exact date
isn't given. As the movie opens, the six-person crew of the Ares 3 mission are
on the planet's surface conducting experiments and gathering samples. In
addition to astronaut Mark Watney (Matt
Damon) and mission Captain Melissa Lewis (Jessica Chastain), the crew includes pilot Rick Martinez (Michael Pena), chemist Alex Vogel (Aksel Hennie), and specialists Beth
Johanssen (Kate Mara) and Chris Beck
(Sebastian Stan). The approach of a
major storm - one that has the potential of tearing apart the fragile
artificial habitat and, literally, tipping over their escape rocket - forces
Lewis to order an emergency evacuation. In the race to the escape craft, Watney
is struck by a piece of flying debris, lost, and presumed dead. He is
reluctantly left behind by his fellows. When NASA receives the news, director
Teddy Sanders (Jeff Daniels) and
Mars mission controller Vincent Kapoor (Chiwetel
Ejiofor) make the news of the death public.

Watney
isn't dead, however. Although injured, he is able to use an emergency medical
kit to close a wound and, after coming to terms with the enormity of his
situation, he assesses what he will have to do to survive. Within a month, NASA
has become aware of his survival and, not long after, rudimentary
communications are possible. The film then becomes a race against time to save
Watney before his provisions run out.

Most
movies about Mars (and there have been a lot of them) are hybrid science
fiction-horror or science fiction-thriller productions with little emphasis on
the science fiction part of the
equation. Since The Martian isn't
interested in the exploitation aspect, that makes it an outlier in the Mars canon. Instead, it's a close cousin
to sci-fi stories like Moon, Gravity,
and Interstellar and deals with some
of the same themes and ideas as Cast Away
and Touching the Void. The Martian's drama evolves from showing
how the character copes with isolation. There are certainly physical challenges
but the psychological difficulties are the most compelling ones.

Although
the concept of a modern day Robinson Crusoe marooned on Mars might sound like a
depressing proposition, the film's tone never ventures into dark and downbeat
territory. Without detracting from the seriousness of the situation, director Ridley Scott infuses the production
with moments of low-key, appropriate comedy. Watney's introspective video
journals illustrate not only his practicality and innovation but his wry
(sometimes gallows) sense of humor. Likewise, some of the Earth-based scenes,
while not openly comedic, are played with a lighthearted sensibility.

For
Matt Damon, this is a rare opportunity to show his range. Neither action hero
nor supporting character nor George Clooney sidekick, he gives a performance to
rival The Departed as the best of his
career.One key difference: here, he
isn't surrounded by the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, and Martin
Sheen. This is Damon's movie and it's hard to find a flaw in the way he brings
Watney to life. The fear, the anguish, the loneliness, the desperation, and the
joy… they're all there. Only once does Watney give into despair and, on that
occasion, it doesn't last long. The secondary cast is impressive, with names
like Jessica Chastain, Kristin Wiig,
Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Sean Bean
lending their talents, but their roles aren't large. They support and never
threaten to take the spotlight away from Damon. (Considering that he also
played a stranded astronaut in Interstellar,
one wonders whether he has become Hollywood's go-to guy for this kind of
character.)

As
a director, Ridley Scott is by no means a can't-miss
proposition.Although one can rarely
fault his ambition, the results have been mixed, especially in recent years.
When it comes to science fiction, however, Scott's track record is solid: Alien, Blade Runner, Prometheus - two
bona fide classics and one flawed but compelling odyssey. The Martian is a different kind of film from those but no less
impressive. Scott uses special effects as a tool to enhance the experience
rather than as the means to define it. Many of the effects in The Martian are of the practical variety
with CGI used primarily to add an otherworldly flavor to the Martian landscape.
The space sequences are nearly as good as those in Gravity. The 3D, although not as impressive as in Alfonso Cuaron's
2013 picture, feels neither gimmicky nor unnecessary. As uneven a director as
Scott can be, he can do some amazing things when he's on; this is one such occasion.

The Martian is based on Andy Weir's novel of the same name and
uses a similar science-based approach to many of its scenes. NASA was involved
both at the script stage and during filming and, although there are instances
in which The Martian takes liberties
with the laws of physics, it presents one of the most accurate screen
depictions of space travel to date. This authenticity is one of the factors
that attracted Damon and Scott to the project and Weir's continued involvement
brought NASA on board.

In
releasing The Martian, 20th Century
Fox has fired the first shot in the 2015 Oscar competition. Although the
science fiction genre is more often associated with the escapist fare of summer
than the serious offerings of the fall, The
Martian is an exception. Those who crave nonstop action and
seizure-promoting editing may find this film's pace too deliberate. They may be
unable to appreciate its character focus and slow but undeniable build-up of
tension. This is science fiction for sophisticated audiences and, as such, a
fulfilling and satisfying experience. [Berardinelli’s rating: *** ½ out of 4
stars]

Monday, February 8, 2016

A film
review by James Berardinelli for ReelViews.net on Sept. 24, 2015.

If The Intern had confined itself to the
unlikely relationship that develops between thirty-something entrepreneur Jules
Ostin (Anne Hathaway) and
seventy-year old retiree Ben Whittaker (Robert
DeNiro), it might have worked. Unfortunately, writer/director Nancy Meyers has bogged down the
narrative with questionable scenes, tangents, and subplots that take the focus
off the April/October friendship and drag the running time out to an
unacceptably long two hours.

Retirement
means different things to different people. For some, it's an opportunity to
unwind and relax after a lifetime of work. Many people enjoy living a life of
leisure where demands on their time are few and far between. For others, it's a
roadway to boredom. They may not have loved their jobs but now they have far
too many hours to fill and the monotony of not doing anything meaningful becomes
oppressive. Ben is a card-carrying
member of the latter category. A retired widower, he finds himself marking time
until the end - existing rather than living. An opportunity to do something
arrives in the form of an advertisement for Senior
Interns. A growing online fashion site wants to give back to the community
by hiring a few over-65s and Ben goes after the position with relish. After
being hired, he is assigned as the personal assistant to Jules, who runs the
company. Jules, however, doesn't relate well to old people and things start out strained. After a while, however,
Ben's disarming, parental approach breaks down her barriers and the two become
close.

The Intern is a romantic comedy without the
romance. Meyers goes into overdrive ensuring there's not a whiff of sexual
tension between Ben and Jules. Is it artificial? Perhaps, but Meyers is compensating for
Hollywood's long tradition of pairing aging leading men with much younger
women. There's a counter-argument to this, however. Romantic or quasi-romantic
companionship doesn't demand sexual frisson - consider the sublime way in which
Lost in Translation handled it. A
more mature approach might have acknowledged the possibility of attraction
without requiring either party to act on it. As it is, Hathaway and DeNiro
develop an appealing platonic dynamic. They mesh well together, which makes it
a shame that the movie takes so many extraneous detours.

Some
attempts to add depth to the characters don't work. A romance between DeNiro
and a masseuse played by Rene Russo
is so underdeveloped as to be pointless. On the other hand, too much time is
spent on Anne Hathaway's marital woes - a little exposure to these would have
gone a long way. There's also a bizarre interlude in which Ben and his fellow interns
become involved in a heist. This comedic segment feels like an outtake from a
Woody Allen movie and, although amusing as a stand-alone skit, it's
out-of-place in the larger scheme. Finally, there's an instance of
foreshadowing that is (thankfully) ignored. Like too many aspects of The Intern, it's orphaned. It's hard to
determine whether the final cut underwent significant tinkering post production
or whether the screenplay was never properly vetted before filming began.

Meyers is
known for witty screenplays that emphasize the female perspective. Her best
known films are the Diane Keaton/Jack Nicholson romance, Something's Gotta Give, and the Meryl Streep/Steve Martin/Alec
Baldwin triangle, It's Complicated.
Both are lighthearted, enjoyable romps - funny enough not to be taken too
seriously but with a hint of insight. In between, however, she was responsible
for the messy The Holiday, a
rambling, bloated production that resembles The
Intern closely in tone and temperament.

Without
question, DeNiro and Hathaway elevate the material. They're Oscar-winning
professionals and their acting is on display. They make us care about unevenly
written characters. In terms of comedic and dramatic content, The Intern is hit-and-miss. Notions
about ageism and corporate prejudice against female CEOs are grazed but not
explored in a meaningful or compelling way. In the end, the only thing that
keeps us from walking out is that we like Ben and Jules, especially when
they're together. Had The Intern been
better focused and a good bit shorter, that might have been enough.
[Berardinelli’s rating: ** out of 4 stars]

Blogger’s
comment: Nancy Meyers has 16 screenwriting credits and six (6) directing
credits, including: The Intern, It’s
Complicated, The Holiday, Something’s Gotta Give, What Woman Want and The
Parent Trap. She’s known for light films with little drama depth or
character development, no memorable dialogue, but gorgeous costumes and sets,
to such an extent that her films have been described as interior design porn.
Personally, I’m a big fan of her earlier work, especially What Women Want and The
Parent Trap, but her later films… not so much.

Saturday, February 6, 2016

Moments
of vivid characterization poke through the blandness of this slow piece about a
suburban couple’s reaction to their daughter marrying a woman

Brought
to the screen by the combination of a successful Indiegogo crowdfunding
campaign and no small amount of old-school indie-film pluck, writer and
director Mary Agnes Donoghue’s Jenny’s Wedding is a warm, agreeable
coming-out romance buoyed by strong performances from its actors even as it
explores fairly shallow waters. Katherine
Heigl stars as the titular Jenny, devoted daughter of her fireman dad Eddie
(Tom Wilkinson, fine as ever in a
lower gear) and mom Rose (familiar if unheralded actress Linda Emond).

Jenny,
her siblings (including Anne, played by
Grace Gummer) and her parents have a happy, messy life together, like any
other family. But after years of being asked when she’s going to find a nice
guy and settle down, Jenny must face the fact that she needs to tell her family
and parents how she’s found the right person — and that it’s not the right guy.

Jenny’s Wedding, from its title to
the end credits, is decidedly free of surprises. Yes, Jenny’s more traditional
mom and dad will react — badly — when told that not only is Jenny a lesbian,
but that she also wants to marry her longtime partner and roommate Kitty (Alexis
Bledel). Between the resolutely conventional script and the somewhat flat
direction, you can’t help but wonder if this is a case where one person took on
the dual tasks of writing and directing and thus removed the possibility of
being pushed towards greatness by another collaborator’s vision and ideas.
(While Jenny’s Wedding is resolutely
independent, Donoghue is hardly a newcomer; her other screenwriting credits
include Beaches and White Oleander.)

For
all of the film’s clunky missteps and tentative tip-toeing, though, the cast
still shines through. Gummer’s younger sister character seems to have a bad
case of Jan-from-The-Brady-Bunch
disease, considering herself unloved and unwanted next to the Marsha-like Jenny. When Anne stops
worrying about her sister’s happiness and her parent’s attitudes and takes her
life into her own hands, however, it’s gripping and intriguing viewing.
Wilkinson and Emond also bring no small amount of skill and grace to their work
as a couple who seem to be burying all of their long-standing problems under a
comfortable blanket of what’s best for the kids.

Much
of the dialogue is painfully opaque and unidirectional: Eddie and Rose, when
finally informed of the truth, argue about which of them specifically Jenny is
rejecting through her lesbianism, while the soundtrack repeatedly leans on Mary Lambert‘s She Keeps Me Warm, a song best known for its incorporation into
Macklemore’s Same Love, a decision
that functions less as a music cue and more as the sonic equivalent of a bright
yellow highlighter.

There
are flashes of fire and passion in the otherwise rote Jenny’s Wedding; Heigl’s best scene comes as she loses her temper
with her father’s cluelessness utterly and completely at a funeral, and the
film could have used a lot more of that kind of incendiary feeling and less of
the calm, slow-fizzle pacing it follows. Shot and set in Cleveland, the look of
the film is all suburban simplicity — Pepto-Bismol pinks and tasteful
furnishings — and there are plenty of comforting clichés to help the
social-justice medicine go down, whether characters are changing their lives
through actions captured in montage or a cavalierly homophobic neighbor gives
Rose something wrong to push against so she can get back to loving her
daughter.

Jenny’s Wedding isn’t
ill-intentioned or actively bad; it’s just a little too familiar, a little too
safe and a little too satisfied with itself. If you’re looking for a lesbian
wedding coming-out drama to watch with your parents, Jenny’s Wedding is designed all too precisely to provide adequate
entertainment.